1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to spool, bobbins, reels and similar structures, and more particularly to industrial purpose reels that can hold large coils of wire.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Wire purchased in industrial quantities are commonly wound into large, unbound coils having internal diameters ranging from 61/2 to 81/2 inches. These coils are packed in boxes to protect the wire and to prevent their unravelling.
The wire can be unwound from the coil either from its interior end where the coil windings were started, or from its exterior end where the coil windings were finished. The best way to unwind the wire is to remove it from its exterior end by rotating the entire coil. If the wire is removed by pulling an end of the wire from the top or the bottom of the coil, the wire will kink, bind and bend due to a helical twisting of the wire.
To facilitate the proper way of unwinding large coils of wire several inventors have devised wire pay-out reels. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 718,194 of J. Delphey a wire pay-out reel is described including a stand, a hub rotatably mounted on the stand, and four arm members extending from the hub were each arm member is provided with an adjustable, wire retaining upright. A coil of wire is dropped or wound around the uprights and wire is removed by pulling the exterior end of the wire and allowing the coil to rotate with the device.
In U.S. Pat. No. 1,783,692 H. Bensema discloses a reel featuring arms of adjustable length. Similar devices are also described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,252,483; 1,943,512; 1,408,743; and 1,352,458.
A problem that the prior art does not address is how to produce wire reels that can stand up to the rigors of industrial usage. For example, the set screws for the arm adjustments on most prior art wire reels are of the ineffectural thumbscrew tye. Furthermore, the wire retaining members are often weak in construction and probably unable to withstand the strong lateral and radially normal forces exerted on a wire retaining reel.
Another problem that the prior art does not address is how to make a heavy duty wire reel that is quickly adustable to accept standard wire coil sizes. Most wire packaged for industrial use is provided in coil form with 61/2, 7, 71/2, 8, 81/2, or 9 inch internal diameters.